Virtual Enterprise Hosts First Staff-and-Student Basketball Game

Kevin Edwards ‘25 drives into the paint for a layup. *Photo: Tiffany Tan*

By IRIS LIN and CHLOE CHO

Iris Lin was a participant in the Hive Madness tournament.

The finale had arrived: Math teacher Ms. Courtney Daub's team was up against mine (Iris Lin’s), in a match to be played to the best of 12 points.

It was an equal matchup as both teams had talented players. In a back and forth battle, seniors Kevin Edwards and Raneil Clarke fought for rebounds and everyone wrestled for the loose ball. At last, the game was tied 10-10 when senior Christian Lacarte of Ms. Daub's team hit a game-winning long distance shot, securing a 12-10 victory. Each player on the winning team, Lacarte, Clarke, and junior Kimarlly Jean Baptiste, took home a $25 Dunkin’ gift card.

“The game was amazing,” said Jean Baptiste, who played tough defense throughout the round.

“Everyone got pretty competitive,” said Ms. Daub. “It was nice to see students and teachers having fun.”

This was Midwood’s first-ever “Hive Madness,” a teachers-and-students basketball competition, held on March 11 and hosted by the Virtual Enterprise (VE) classes.

“I mentioned that we should do something quintessential in March, and I brought up March Madness,” said Mr. Jakub Karpieszuk, the coordinator of VE. “Eden Azayeva, Malak Khalifa, and Jose Jesus Sanchez liked the concept and ran with the idea.”

The tournament was knockout-style with a total of eight teams, each composed of one teacher and three students. Two teams played head-to-head on a half-court setting. The first to reach seven points advanced to the next round. A field goal (layup or jump shot) was awarded one point, and any made shots beyond the 3-point line were awarded two points. Possession switched after a team scored.

First up was English teacher Mr. Jimmy Liang’s team, who narrowly defeated math teacher Mr. Jonathan Rafferty’s team, 7-5.

“They had great chemistry, but I think we had a better game plan, and luck was definitely on our side,” said Mr. Liang. “It was a warm-up game, and that got us ready for round two.”

On the other half of the court, biology teachers Mr. Jason Keating and Mr. John-Paul Anderson faced off, with Mr. Keating’s team winning 7-2.

“My team had good defense, we hit a lot of three-pointers, and we had good cohesion,” said Mr. Keating.

In round two, Ms. Daub’s team went up against science teacher Ms. Natifa Griffith’s team, winning 7-4, while across the court, English teacher Ms. Grace Gutierrez faced off against my team, as I stepped in for a teacher.

Ms. Gutierrez’s team started strong with a 4-0 run. However, we bounced back and fought to win 7-6.

The semifinals consisted of Ms. Daub vs Mr. Keating and Mr. Liang vs my team, with Ms. Daub’s squad advancing 7-4 and us again surviving 7-6.

VE team members worked with school administration to make sure the gym was available for the upcoming event before speaking with Principal Robert Quinlan to obtain final approval.

However, there was uncertainty about how everything would play out. Some minor issues remained. For example, the organizers didn’t have an electronic scoring board, said John-Anthony Gonzalez ‘25, a member of VE, so they kept score using pen and paper.

“Anytime something new is introduced, there is this fear that the event that you spent so much time planning will be a total flop,” said Mr. Karpieszuk.

Nonetheless, the lingering worry dissipated when the tournament went into full action. The evening went smoothly as the players unleashed their inner competitors.

“It was amazing to see such a diverse group of students come out and be a part of our event,” said Mr. Karpieszuk. “Truly, Hive Madness was the physical manifestation of the ‘Moral Compass of Kindness.’”

“There was a lot of intensity,” said Djumelly Saint Jean ‘27, a spectator who hopes to see more teachers on the court next time.

“I would definitely play again,” said Jean Baptiste.

The event aimed to fundraise for Virtual Enterprise’s two teams, Origins Odyssey and Triumph: RTB.

“All our funds are directly given back to both firms,” said Mr. Karpieszuk. “Both firms participate in trade shows where we compete with other schools such as Brooklyn Tech, Murrow, and Fort Hamilton.”

The tournament not only showcased the talents of Midwood’s very own students and teachers, it also generated buzz for the community overall. The event paired Hornets who may not have known each other, but their unfamiliarity quickly turned into camaraderie as they played together as a team. With the success of the event, expectations are high that Virtual Enterprise will bring Hive Madness back next year.